Pros and Cons of Lions Signing Golden Tate
Should a reunion be in the works for a former Detroit Lions wide receiver?
Golden Tate, 32, was released last season by the New York Giants in a cost-cutting move.
In his career that has spanned 11 seasons, Tate has played with the Seattle Seahawks, the Detroit Lions, the Philadelphia Eagles and the Giants.
Tate was set to earn $8.5 million, and would have counted $11 million against the salary cap in 2021. In his 11-year career, the veteran wideout has secured 695 receptions for 8,278 yards and 46 touchdowns.
In his final season with the Giants, Tate recorded 35 receptions for 388 yards and two touchdowns. It was his least productive statistical season since his first season in the NFL back in 2010 with the Seahawks.
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Should the Lions, who currently have one roster position that remains open, allocate it for a wide receiver?
Tate started only four games last season, and missed a total of four games. He saw the number of targets shrink, as he slipped to third on the depth chart behind Sterling Shepard and Darius Slayton.
According to The Athletic, "This is the prominent 'probably bigger than Holmes plans to go' name. Most Lions fans would love this addition. Amon-Ra St. Brown would benefit from playing under Tate’s wing. But Tate, 33 in August, has to be hoping a contender comes calling."
After a stellar career at Notre Dame, Tate became known for his productivity and his ability to secure plenty of yards after the catch.
This past offseason, Detroit came to terms on contracts for veterans Tyrell Williams, Kalif Raymond and Breshad Perriman.
The organization is also counting on players like Quintez Cephus and Victor Bolden to compete for playing time during training camp in late July.
“He’s (Bolden) another guy that’s taken to coaching,” Lions head coach Dan Campbell said. “Shoot, we had one-on-ones yesterday, and one of the routes he ran, just the way that he worked the leverage of the defender but was also patient to get his depth and then come out of the route, (it was) quarterback friendly."
In this year's draft, Detroit targeted a player it had scouted heavily in wideout Amon-Ra St. Brown out of USC.
He is expected to contribute sooner rather than later, and adding Tate may slow down his development, at least early in St. Brown's NFL career.
If Tate is willing to accept a fair market value contract, a possible reunion could be in the works.
If not, Tate may end up joining a team out in Los Angeles that features a quarterback he is very familiar with and with whom he had arguably the best stretch of his career -- Matthew Stafford and the Rams.
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